From the mud

Colden awoke to a thud and crashing plates. His body was sprawled on the cold wood floor. The previous night had taken a toll on his body. 

"What is it this time "he sighed. He covered himself in a bear skin rug and walked out of the back of a small room into the tavern.

Two men stood menacingly at the bar table their clothes covered with spilled food. 

"Watch where you're going you idiot" yelled one of the men raising his fist in the air.

" I'm so sorry sir I was trying to get away from the cat running around" apologized the young girl. The curious cat jumped on a stool startling her.

"How do you expect to work in a bar if you are afraid of cats?" reluctantly asked the man.

She began scratching her skin in discomfort.

" I can't be near cats they give me the itch-" she sneezed. 

" Then don't work in a tavern stupid wench" yelled the man. The other man could not resist petting the cute cat, rubbing its fur as he giggled at the poor girls' tears.

His yellow rotting teeth showing through his smile.

"Just hit her already so we can get out of here already we got what we wanted" said Yellow-teeth. 

"Yeah, we're done here" said the other man as he swung his fist at the girl. Surprisingly his fist was met with resistance as Colden had grabbed his wrist before impact. The man tried his best pulling his hand away but couldn't move.

"Let go will you" he shouted. 

Colden immediately let go and began meekly apologizing. " I'm so sorry sir but that's our only tavern hostess we can't let you mess up her beautiful face:" Colden chuckled.

The man looked angrier at Colden's cowardice than him grabbing the punch. His face turned red as his hand lingered on the hilt of his sword.

"Do you have any idea who we work for you little rat?" scowled the man, "We work for Jovian Pewter the Bandit King."

"Bandit King?" asked Colden puzzled, "Bandits have no king"

In Colden's confusion the man delivered a devastating punch knocking him to ground. He loomed over him as he slumped against the table. He then poured his drink on Colden's head waking him up fully.

"They do now" smiled the man as he crouched down. He pulled a blade out from behind hoping to intimidate him. The bandits looked surprised when he sat there unfazed looking blankly at the door behind them. 

"Look at him man you scared him stiff" laughed Yellow-teeth still caressing the cat.

"Don't Kill them Knox they're just a couple of idiots" said Colden.

"Who the hell are you talking to?" asked the man, "You should be praying to your-

A large man came from behind grabbing both men by the neck. The struggled as the man lifted them up forcing them to stand on their toes.

From his shadow a small boy came out gleefully smiling and laughing at the men gasping for air. The boy was frail and small with hair the color of snow. His pink eyes darted around the room examining it.

"Brother where have you been we have been looking for you everywhere?" the boy asked.

"Sorry Ark I lost track of time I was celebrating for tomorrows job" said Colden.

"Celebrating before the jobs even done, are you trying to jinx us Col "yelled Ark.

Col got up from his slump calling his brother over to tell him something. He leaned in close as if to whisper something but quickly rustled his hair infuriating him. Col laughed as Ark nipped at him.

"Knox let those two go already you're going to kill them", said Col

"Don't worry Captain I'll take this garbage out for you" said Knox before tossing the two out of the tavern headfirst.

 Knox was a brute but a kind brute. He dusted his hands of the two outside and pulled out a shirt and pants for Col from inside his shirt. Col was a young seventeen-year-old, but Knox insisted on putting the shirt on him. 

"You're going to regret this you fools." yelled the bandit as they stormed off.

After Col 'clothed himself' and ate a meal he turned with a full stomach to the bar keep who was dead silent during the altercation.

"So, what did he want from you anyway Tom?" asked Col. He was met with stoney silence before Tom continued his work around the tavern helping the to clean the mess.

"Fine don't tell me see if I care" snorted Col as he and the other two left.

Outside the three breathed in clear countryside air as they looked out at the mountain peaks in the horizon. Colden had picked the Stoney Village for its obscurity and all-around blandness. No one would suspect a group of bandits to stay at such a dry place.

Children ran past giggling as they were chased by a man wearing a horned mask. The man under the mask was also having a great time laughing as he caught one of the kids tickling them. 

"Stop chasing the kids Alyn we have things to do today" said Col.

"And where have you been our glorious leader" asked Alyn, " Let me guess at the tavern asleep"

Col nodded in shame making everyone around him burst out laughing.

"I knew it Henry owes me three silvers" laughed Alyn.

"Where is your brother anyway, I need to ask him about my new sword."

"He's at the blacksmiths the swords probably already done"

The forge was hot as usual making the air stuffy. Henry was by the fire hammering a piece of steel. Watching him work was enough to make them all sweat buckets in that oven they called a forge.

"Henry you're not done with my sword yet that's very unlike you" teased Col.

"Your blades over there by the mantle I had time to spear for some extra work" shot Henry back at his jest.

Henry was meticulous and straight forward to a fault. He may not have been someone to bring to a party, but if your back was against a wall there would be no better person.

Colden took the sword from the mantle examining it. The blade was a cold silver while the hilt was black with a silver pommel.

"Gnaw" Col mumbled to himself.

" What was that Captain?" asked Knox

"My father used to tell me the great swords have names, I will name this one 'Gnaw' so all my enemies know to fear its bite"

"Thats a good name sir, too bad it isn't a sigil weapon it would be helpful to have more sigil-weapons other than Henry and Alyn's"